‘Code red’ storm halts Dutch trains and flights

On the 18th January at 11.30am Dutch authorities suspended all flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol airport due to a storm arising with winds of 140km/h (90mph) across the whole of the Netherlands.

Most of Belgium, including the capital Brussels, is on orange alert- the second highest due to the strong winds.

Schiphol is one of Europe’s busiest airports, and are yet to announce when any of the 250 cancelled flights will resume. The airport has stated that all take-off and landings have been halted ‘until further notice’ which has resulted in severe delays.

Dutch people in the path of the storm are using the hashtag #coderood to tweet photos of the storm damage.

So, what cover can you expect from your travel insurance?

Firstly, you will need check your policy wording to see if you are covered for travel delays. If you are, you may be entitled to a small amount of compensation for every set block time you are delayed i.e. £100 for every 6 hours you are delayed up to a total of £600. It’s worth noting not all policies will offer the same level of cover.

Many travel insurance policies won’t offer compensation unless you have been delayed for 12 hours or longer – something to keep in mind when buying a policy in the future.

Once the airport reopens, it is the airlines responsibility to provide an alternative flight. Some airlines may also compensation for accommodation, so it may be worth checking with them directly.

If you are stranded abroad and unable to return home as planned you may be able to claim for any additional expenses incurred as a result of the delay; for example, pet care and car parking charges, but again this will not be covered by all policies so you would need to make sure you read your policy wording carefully.